The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.

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Hybrid View

Sketchup Dungeon

Using a map that I found from Dyson's Dodecahedron, I wanted to see what I could do with Google Setchup to make a 2-D Map into a 3-D Model.

So first I started with his original 2D map.

And I saw that he had a number of stairs set into the halls so I calculated that each set of stair was only 5' tall. That meant that (if the ceilings were 10' or so) that I would need to pull the whole map up to 20 feet and then 'push' down each chamber and hall to give it the dimension of depth.

Once I cut in the stairs and added in recessed doors it really started to take shape.

I added some textures to give the depth some contrast (because it's sometimes hard to tell with all the white walls) and decided that for this incarnation the walls were made out of cut stone and the floor was tiled with paving stones.

I left much of the original image on the surface so you could see Dyson's cross-hatching and get a sense of how the 2-D map became the 3-D model.

Downloaded free sketch up-----2 days later......need sleep.....ok i'm man and who reads instructions??? oh ya i was looking for them.....but damn the library....damn the it all......figure i would import and take apart like a motor. wife said hey look for tutorials...did you check sketch up site for tips. ugh me building town.....ugh me walking in this town......ugh wife.

awesome awesome......yup the future is here......and my drafting stuff will get dusty. yet to look at the tutorial.......but ugh me download

“When it’s over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking.” -John Wooden

Green Pilgrim - this has got to be the future of dungeon maps. Would you consider doing a short tutorial on how you did that? I am dimly aware that google sketchup is free and easy to use, but haven't used it. I'd really appreciate a simple guide to how you did that for dummies like me to follow. Well done.

Green Pilgrim - this has got to be the future of dungeon maps. Would you consider doing a short tutorial on how you did that? I am dimly aware that google sketchup is free and easy to use, but haven't used it. I'd really appreciate a simple guide to how you did that for dummies like me to follow. Well done.